Michigan TE and potential first round pick Jake Butt suffers serious knee injury in bowl (1 Viewer)

[St. Geezy]

First-round prospect Jake Butt injures knee, doesn’t regret playing

Posted by Michael David Smith on December 31, 2016, 7:09 AM EST

Michigan tight end Jake Butt, a potential first-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, suffered what may have been a serious knee injury last night in the Orange Bowl. But he says he doesn’t regret playing.

After his team lost to Florida State, Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh said he doesn’t know the severity of Butt’s injury, but that it’s an “MCL or ACL” tear. That makes it likely that Butt won’t be able to go through the Combine and work out for NFL teams, and may not be ready to go for the start of his rookie season. The injury could cost him a significant amount of money.

First-round prospect Jake Butt injures knee, doesn

I really liked this player as a potential second round prospect for us. I really hate seeing these kids literally lose millions playing in what amounts to exhibition games and I don't blame guys like Fournette and McCaffrey one bit for sitting them out.

 

[RaginSaint93]

It's not like he will be there when we go on the clock

 

[BoNcHiE]

You can take out personal policies to cover this stuff. Fournette has two 10+ million dollar policies he carried for 2016. One policy specifically covers him if he loses draft status due to injury. I'd think Butts has insurance since he knew he'd be a top talent, but I can't confirm.

I think he'll still go very early. 2nd round at worst. He's a special talent as a receiver at that position.

 

[TheDeparted]

Sounds like the perfect guy for us

 

[Rdanderson91]

Damn that really sucks. This is exactly why so many highly coveted prospects are sitting out. Maybe we can get lucky and find him in the 3rd

 

[AshleyShaffer]

This is why I believe that it makes perfect sense for any prospect that is heading to the draft should opt-out of playing in a meaningless bowl game outside of the 4 team playoff.

These games are totally meaningless and really only present a risk for a prospect to get hurt and damage their future.

 

[El Caliente]

Butt was a 1st round prospect, and his loss last night hurt us...a lot.

He will drop for sure, but I think about his talent, and what he brings a team, and I still think he is a 1st round pick or early second round pick. If he has an ACL tear that doesn't put out for his entire rookie year, so he could still walk in and make an impact on a team that isn't depending on its 1st rounder to walk in and make an impact immediately (see Pats, Seahawks, Raiders).

If I were the Saints I would take a chance on him if we can trade down in the 2nd round (move from the 15th pick in the 2nd down to like the 20th or somewhere there) and pick him up (if he is still there). Who knows what we have in Fleener, who knows what we would have in Butt when he returns, but between the two the Saints would have a dynamic te threat.

 

[insidejob]

Pretty sure this is exactly why Peppers didn't play with an "injured hamstring."

Can't blame him either.

 

[El Caliente]

Pretty sure this is exactly why Peppers didn't play with an "injured hamstring."

Can't blame him either.

Honestly, he doesn't seem like the type, but you might somewhat be on to something. You notice players who are on these award circuits, eating more and training less, aren't quite ready for the bowl games. I think Peppers genuinely was hurt, but it had more to do with his poor conditioning leading up to the game.

That doesn't scare me once he hits the NFL though. The conditioning isn't broken (inseason) by 3-4 week layoffs in games as was the case between Michigan's last game and this one.

I don't blame LF7 and McCaffery for sitting either. It's a smart move on their part. Being that McCaffery did it too it's not like someone can make it a race issue, or a poor background issue (as McCaffery's parent were both pro athletes).

 

[kennydfresh]

He will be there in the 3rd round or bottom of the second and we could trade up. The saints love there 3 and 4 man drafts.

 

[CantonLegend]

Butt is a better overall prospect than funchess who came out of Michigan. Funchess was more like a jimmy graham. Fast, great hands, almost an extra wideout. Butt is more like a witten. Blocks, sure handed. Not a burner but can produce vertically if necessary.

Tight ends aren't typically going to be first rounders unless they have Vernon Davis talent coming out. Butt would be a great selection mid-late second or third round

 

[nolatransplant]

I hope we draft him in the third. He would be a great pickup and Fleener has not lived up to his lofty salary. If we want to win a championship we need a better TE.

 

[FatCitySaint]

I'm not the biggest Fleener fan at the moment....but a sure fire way to really screw the situation up with him even worse is take a TE early in the draft.

Best thing is to show confidence in him and see if he can pull it off next year. He did look much better the last couple games and with all the money tied up in him he is here like it or not.

 

[60minutes]

A few points:

1. Jake has two policies to cover himself. He has a $4 million insurance policy (if he never plays again) and a $2 million loss-of-value deal. The latter starts to kick in for him after the second round.

2. He injured his ACL and MCL. He's in positive spirits but the injury is to the same knee he injured in 2014. He's all heart and I have no doubt he'll be back. But this is a huge concern for whatever team that drafts him.

3. Jake was not going to be a first round pick. I saw him as a push second but likely third rounder, mainly because he was never going to run a great 40 time. He's a 5.0/40. Some of the GMs and personnel men I trust agree on the draft grade. With the injury, it might depend on if a team chooses to utilize a compensatory pick on him. If they do, maybe he still goes in the third or fourth. If not, he's no higher than a 5th rounder.

 

[El Caliente]

I'm not the biggest Fleener fan at the moment....but a sure fire way to really screw the situation up with him even worse is draft a TE early in the draft.

Best thing is to show confidence in him and see if he can pull it off next year. He did look much better the last couple games and with all the money tied up in him he is here like it or not.

You sure can draft / sign a TE, and if it hurts his confidence so he it. The NFL stands for "Not for long". If you aren't living up to expectations than tough luck. But I doubt Fleener is built like that. The Pats had Gronk and Hernandez for a while and that didn't hurt either guys production (it was the double homicide that did that). We could use a solid TE duo.

A few points:

1. Jake has two policies to cover himself. He has a $4 million insurance policy (if he never plays again) and a $2 million loss-of-value deal. The latter starts to kick in for him after the second round.

2. He injured his ACL and MCL. He's in positive spirits but the injury is to the same knee he injured in 2014. He's all heart and I have no doubt he'll be back. But this is a huge concern for whatever team that drafts him.

3. Jake was not going to be a first round pick. I saw him as a push second but likely third rounder, mainly because he was never going to run a great 40 time. He's a 5.0/40. Some of the GMs and personnel men I trust agree on the draft grade. With the injury, it might depend on if a team chooses to utilize a compensatory pick on him. If they do, maybe he still goes in the third or fourth. If not, he's no higher than a 5th rounder.

You saw him as a push 2nd, but countless media outlets had him rated as a potential 1st. Seeing him play this season he was as good as Heath Miller was when the Steelers took him in the first.

Teams that doubt taking him are teams being led by guys who aren't long for this league. Watch him go to a Pats, or to a Seahawks, and watch him waltz in as a 2nd or 3rd round pick, and make a huge impact when he finally hits the field. Kid is a gamer.